Miscellaneous Hacks - SocialForums 1.4

SocialForums for vBulletin 3.7
Created by Marius Czyz aka Phalynx.

This mod will work *ONLY* with vBulletin 3.7 or higher. It will not run on vBulletin 3.6.x due to non existent feature of "social groups".

Support will be only given for people who clicked Mark as INSTALLED.

Description
Not satisfied with vBulletin social groups messaging function? With SocialForums your social group leaders can create a standard forum for their group.
A group leader can only create a forum if the group has at least 5 members - this can be changed via settings. Optionally the group leader can be a moderator of such a social forum.

Permissions
Since 1.3 there are advanced permissions active (Forum and Archive). This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.

Demo
None, see screenshots

Installation
This product is fully phrased and uses template hooks. No file changes or manual template edits needed.
1. Upload bitfield_socialforums.xml to existing folder /includes/xml/
2. Upload functions_socialforums.php to existing folder /includes/
3. Fresh Installation: Just import the product. Upgrade: Import the product, allow overwrite. No forums get lost!
4. Check settings, especially for parent forum. Don't forget to set permissions via usergroups!

Troubleshooting
Q: I don't see a link to create a forum. Why?
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, espacially if the user is allowed to create forum.
A: Check if the usergroup meet min users requirement, see AdminCP/Settings/SocialForums.

Q: My users see the forums, but they shouldn't!
A: Check permissions for the usergroup, if the users usergroup is set to "can see".
A: Did you disabled the restriction mode? Enable it.

Todo
- By deleting a group the forum should also be deleted/archived. Currently this has to be done manually.

Known Issues
- On big boards with hundreds of social groups this mod can really impact the performance because of the mass of new created forums. If you still want to use this mod use the "Minimum Members" feature with a higher value. Using the permission check there are additional two queries on every page.

History
1.4.6, 6th October 2008
- Permissions are now also active in Archive

1.4.2, 27th May 2008
- Added: If a group has a linked forum the grouplisting has the last post date and count of postings (with permission check).
- Added: Recent threads in linked forum on group home
- Added: Private groups: Link to forum only shown to members of group
- Changed: Enabled permissions for unregistered usergroup. Unregistered Users are not more explicit denied without a check of it's usergroup

1.3.1, 23th May 2008
- Fixed: Not existing array

1.3.0, 23th May 2008
- Added: Permissions are now active. This includes read/write public and private (moderated/invite only) socialforums and creation of forum. Please check permissions for every usergroup! As this needs two additional queries on every page you can disable this.
- Added: Checks for permission before the creation link will be displayed
- Changed: Default View Age set to "Show all Threads"

1.2.1 8th April 2008:
- Added: Group messaging can be disabled via options (previously: always disabled)

1.2.0 4th April 2008:
- Added: Groupleader can now be moderator of group forum
- Added: Minimum Members that are required for own forum
- Added: Group messaging will be automatically hide for group that has own forum
- Added: Forums are created with more allowances
- Added: By deleting a forum the linked socialgroup get's updated
- Added: Forum's description contains link back to social group
- Added: By changing group's name it synchronize it with the forum's name

1.0/1.1 1st April 2008:
- Initial releases

[Varsh]

Awesome hack, I've been needing this. There are some requests and features that I think might help, though some are probably sorted already:

• Each social group has their own forum
  • The webmaster can set an option whether the forum is made when a social group is created, or when the social group leader sends a request
  • Social group forums are hidden from everyone except those that are part of the social group
  • The Social group forums are displayed at the top or bottom of the front page based on user preference
  • Social group leaders can set whether attachments are allowed
• Social group leaders can set forum specific permissions and user groups
  • Social group leaders can give and take moderation status to anyone in the social group only for that social group forum
  • Social group leaders can appoint someone else as a social group leader
  • Social group leaders cannot leave a group without appointing another leader first
  • The first social group leader cannot be demoted from leader status unless demoted by themselves - the next in line leader then takes over owner status and cannot be demoted
• An option for integration with Project Tools
  • A link to Project Tools "Create a project for the Social Group" displayed in the social group profile page and only available to social group leaders
  • The social group leader that creates a project can make it either public or private with private being available only to the social group
  • If a Social Group disbands then the projects under the Project Tools are also deleted

I've already installed the hack and it works peachily (v1.1).

[Amit86]

I LOVE everything you DO
I just had to say that
some sugestions if you would like
- Only group members can see forum
- Forum request from admin form
- Auto make group's admin forum's mod option

[Yours Truly]

Maybe change the bitfields to:

	$forumdm = datamanager_init('Forum', $vbulletin);
	$forumdm->set('title', $group['name']);
	$forumdm->set('title_clean', $group['name']);
	$forumdm->set('description', $group['description']);
	$forumdm->set('parentid', $vbulletin->options['sf_parentforum']);
	if ($vbulletin->options['sf_visibility']) {
		$forumdm->set('displayorder', $group['groupid']);
	} else {
		$forumdm->set('displayorder', 0);
	}
	$forumdm->setr('options', $options); //Does not work
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'active', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'cancontainthreads', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'allowposting', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'indexposts', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'countposts', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'showonforumjump', '0');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'allowhtml', '0');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'allowbbcode', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'allowimages', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'allowsmilies', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'allowicons', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'allowratings', '1');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'defaultsortfield', 'lastpost');
	$forumdm->set_bitfield('options', 'defaultsortorder', 'desc');

Then would match better with other forums, allowing the created forum to have the group description the same as the forum description and allowing: BB Code, [IMG] Code, Smilies, Post Icons, Thread Ratings in this Forum, Count Posts Made in this Forum Towards User Post Counts.

Any thoughts?

[RvG2]

I don't know why the Create Forum was not showing to me. I have a custom template maybe this could be the reason?

If this is the case, kindly advice how to do the template edit manually?

[Phalynx]

Originally Posted by Kyderoy

Ok let me see if I get this, the newly created forum will only show in the social group or will it show also on the forumhome page?

Depending on the setting in AdminCP it can be shown to all as a subforum of the parent forum or can be hide.

Originally Posted by Varsh

• Each social group has their own forum
  • The webmaster can set an option whether the forum is made when a social group is created, or when the social group leader sends a request
  • Social group forums are hidden from everyone except those that are part of the social group
  • The Social group forums are displayed at the top or bottom of the front page based on user preference
  • Social group leaders can set whether attachments are allowed
• Social group leaders can set forum specific permissions and user groups
  • Social group leaders can give and take moderation status to anyone in the social group only for that social group forum
  • Social group leaders can appoint someone else as a social group leader
  • Social group leaders cannot leave a group without appointing another leader first
  • The first social group leader cannot be demoted from leader status unless demoted by themselves - the next in line leader then takes over owner status and cannot be demoted

Nice ideas, but this would be something for the next major version of this hack. And to be honest: This features would lead into something that has been condemn here on vb.org: Custom, independent forums...

Originally Posted by Varsh

• An option for integration with Project Tools
  • A link to Project Tools "Create a project for the Social Group" displayed in the social group profile page and only available to social group leaders
  • The social group leader that creates a project can make it either public or private with private being available only to the social group
  • If a Social Group disbands then the projects under the Project Tools are also deleted

Project Tools is another thing than Forums. This is a thing for another modification.

Originally Posted by Amit86

- Only group members can see forum

That's a permission thing, currently only very diffucult to do.

Originally Posted by Amit86

- Forum request from admin form

Dont understand this one.

Originally Posted by Amit86

- Auto make group's admin forum's mod option

Already included in 1.2, download beta of 1.2 here:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....9&postcount=52

Originally Posted by Yours Truly

Maybe change the bitfields to:

Then would match better with other forums, allowing the created forum to have the group description the same as the forum description and allowing: BB Code, [IMG] Code, Smilies, Post Icons, Thread Ratings in this Forum, Count Posts Made in this Forum Towards User Post Counts.

Any thoughts?

Already included in 1.2, download beta of 1.2 here:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showpost....9&postcount=52

Originally Posted by RvG2

I don't know why the Create Forum was not showing to me. I have a custom template maybe this could be the reason?

If this is the case, kindly advice how to do the template edit manually?

Did you modified socialgroups_group? If not, this would not be the problem. It can only be that you didn't had at least 2 Members in the group.

[Yours Truly]

Do you have a list of what you added without me having to download it? I'm talking about the bit i edited myself

[Varsh]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

Nice ideas, but this would be something for the next major version of this hack. And to be honest: This features would lead into something that has been condemn here on vb.org: Custom, independent forums...

Surely at least this:

• Social group forums are hidden from everyone except those that are part of the social group

No? And perhaps when someone not in the social group will not be allowed access if they're not in the group.

[RvG2]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

Did you modified socialgroups_group? If not, this would not be the problem. It can only be that you didn't had at least 2 Members in the group.

Nope I did not modified socialgroups_group. I have more than 2 members in my group so this should not be a problem at all. Just I need to have the template edit on themes aside from the vb default theme (if any)

[Reeve of shinra]

Invalid forum specified

This is what I see when I try and create a group :/


Awesome hack, I look forward to seeing what this turns into.

[CHIPIT]

Originally Posted by Phalynx

Yes, it would be. But that would require to have a mass of settings. Instead of this, you can change default settings in product XML, check "$forumdm->set_bitfield" and for moderators "$moddm->set_bitfield".

Good enough for me, thanks.